Fewer Visitors Spend More

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the length of overnight stays between July and September fell 7%, when compared to the same time last year. However, revenue was up 10% with visitors spending €2.14 billion.

Nearly two million international visitors were in Ireland during the three months, up 1% on the same time last year. North America was the most valuable market worth €843 million, with visitor numbers up 9%, and the length of overnight stays up 14%. There was 1% rise in visitors from mainland Europe, but the average length of stay fell 15%. Meanwhile, visitor numbers from Britain dropped 5%, with the length of stay down 12%.

“Data for the third quarter presents a mixed bag,” said Niall MacCarthy, Chair of ITIC, “Demand has been very mixed, and we're now heading into the traditionally quieter period.”

ITIC said capacity constraints, including the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, and soaring costs of business were putting a strain on the industry.

Commenting on the figures, Alice Mansergh, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said:

“While monthly figures can move around, it’s illustrative to look at year-to-date data. The CSO figures indicate that Ireland welcomed over 5.2 million overseas tourists for the period January-September 2024 (+10% over the same period in 2023), generating €4.85 billion for the economy (+16%). It is positive to see that both overseas visitor numbers and spend have increased compared to last year. However, visitors are spending on average seven days this year compared to eight days last year. That, combined with the increased costs of doing business for those working in the tourism industry, are current concerns.”